Op-Ed: Kavanaugh Confirmation a National Disgrace

The nomination, hearing, and confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh is a national disgrace, and every American should feel angry and embarrassed by the alleged sexual predator taking a seat on the highest court in the land.

It’s a sad state of affairs that in the midst of the #MeToo movement, a majority of our elected leaders find it fitting to approve a man accused of assault by four women— all of whom have a right to be believed.

Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Prof. Christine Blasey Ford bared her soul, struggling to hold back tears as she recounted how, as teenagers, Kavanaugh played a role in assaulting her. Somehow, even after her testimony, the revelations of additional complaints against him, a weeklong (insufficient and secretive) FBI investigation, a man of privilege prevailed. He even weathered the storm against a brutal Saturday Night Live skit.

Americans should be outraged, and not just women. Everyone should take to the streets, protesting this grave injustice. Even more despicable was Kavanaugh’s testimony before the committee, a partisan rant unprecedented in American history.

Since our nation’s founding, justices on the Supreme Court, no matter what president from either party appointed them, have worked toward at least the appearance of political neutrality. Along these lines, even if Kavanaugh is innocent of the charges against him (which, it bears repeating, I don’t believe), credible accusations of sexual misconduct should preclude him taking the bench.

Our nation needs to trust in the legitimacy of the Supreme Court, even if not everyone agrees with its rulings. Along with Clarance Thomas, who faced credible accusations of sexual harassment during his 1991 confirmation hearings by attorney Anita Hill, Kavanaugh’s ascendency provides citizens with yet more reason to doubt the moral compass of the nation’s highest court.

It’s also sickening that Republicans, including President Trump, would argue that if Ford’s accusations were in fact true, she would have come forward earlier. These are easy words for men in power, who have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Even if one doesn’t believe Ford, in the very least, she deserves respect. This is a brave woman, who, due to deceiving death threats, has had to move several times for safety reasons. Clearly, our nation has a long way to go. I can only hope that we see real, lasting progress in our lifetimes.